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they do not even know whence they ought to put it forward. But not so with that man; but he even said that he was exceedingly unworthy, not only of the benefit, but even of receiving the Lord into his house. For this reason, having said, ‘My servant is lying ill,’ he did not add, ‘Speak,’ fearing lest he might be unworthy to receive the gift, but reported the affliction only. But when he saw Christ being generous, not even then did he leap forward, but still remained, maintaining the measure proper to himself. But if someone should say, ‘For what reason did Christ not honor him in return?’ we would say that He did honor him exceedingly; first, by revealing his disposition, which was made manifest especially from his not coming to the house; and second, by bringing him into the kingdom, and preferring him to the whole Jewish nation. For since he made himself unworthy even of receiving Christ into his house, he became worthy both of the kingdom and of obtaining the good things which Abraham enjoyed. And for what reason, he says, was the leper, having shown greater things than these, not praised? For that man did not say, ‘Speak the word,’ but what was much greater, ‘Only will it;’ which the Prophet says concerning the Father, that ‘Whatever He willed, He has done.’ But he too was praised. For when He says, ‘Offer the gift which Moses commanded, for a testimony to them,’ He says nothing else than, ‘You will accuse them, by the things in which you have believed.’ Besides, it was not the same thing for a Jew to believe, as for one from outside the nation. For that the centurion was not a Jew is clear both from his being a centurion, and from its being said, ‘I have not found so great a faith, no, not in Israel.’ 4. And it was a very great thing for a man outside the Jewish catalogue to have conceived such an idea. For he imagined, as it seems to me, the hosts in heaven; or that the passions are so subject to Him, and death, and all other things, as his soldiers are to him. Wherefore he also said, ‘For I also am a man set under authority;’ that is, ‘You are God, I am a man; I am under authority, but You are not under authority.’ If, therefore, I, being a man and under authority, can do so much, much more can He Himself, being both God, and not under authority. For with exaggeration he wishes to persuade Him, that he says these things not as giving an example of an equal, but of one who is exceedingly superior. For if I, he says, who am of like honor with those who are commanded, and am under authority, nevertheless through the small superiority of my rank can do so much, and no one contradicts, but what I command, these things are done, even if the commands are different (for I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes); much more 57.338 will you be able. But some also read this passage thus: ‘For I, being a man,’ and then pausing, they add, ‘under authority, having soldiers under myself.’ But do you consider how he showed that He is able to command death as a slave, and to give orders as a master. For when he says that ‘Come,’ and he comes, and ‘Go,’ and he goes, he means this, that if You command death not to come upon him, it will not come. Do you see how faithful he was? For what was afterward to be manifest to all, this man already made perfectly clear, that He has authority over both death and life, and brings down to the gates of Hades and brings up. And he spoke not only of soldiers, but also of servants, which implied a greater obedience. But nevertheless, though having so great a faith, he still considered himself unworthy. But Christ, showing that he was worthy for Him to enter into his house, did much greater things, admiring him, and proclaiming him, and giving more than he had asked. For he came seeking bodily health for his servant, and went away having received a kingdom. Do you see how ‘Seek the kingdom of heaven, and all these things shall be added unto you’ was already fulfilled? For since he showed great faith and humility, He both gave him heaven, and added health to it; and He honored him not by this only, but also by showing who were being cast out while he was being brought in. For from this point on, He now makes it known to all that salvation is from faith, not from the works of the law. Therefore not to the Jews

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οὐδὲ ὅθεν προβάλλεσθαι δεῖ ἴσασιν. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐκεῖνος οὕτως· ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα ἑαυτὸν ἀνάξιον εἶναι ἔφη, οὐ μόνον τῆς εὐεργεσίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ τῇ οἰκίᾳ δέξασθαι τὸν Κύριον. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ εἰπὼν, Ὁ παῖς μου βέβληται, οὐκ ἐπήγαγεν, Εἰπὲ, δεδοικὼς μὴ ἀνάξιος εἴη τοῦ τυχεῖν τῆς δωρεᾶς, ἀλλὰ τὴν συμφορὰν ἀπήγγειλε μόνον. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ εἶδε τὸν Χριστὸν φιλοτιμούμενον, οὐδὲ οὕτως ἐπεπήδησεν, ἀλλ' ἔτι μένει τὸ ἑαυτῷ προσῆκον διατηρῶν μέτρον. Εἰ δὲ λέγοι τις, Τίνος ἕνεκεν οὐκ ἀντετίμησεν αὐτὸν ὁ Χριστός; ἐκεῖνο ἂν εἴποιμεν, ὅτι καὶ σφόδρα αὐτὸν ἀντετίμησε· πρῶτον μὲν, τῷ δεῖξαι τὴν γνώμην, ὅπερ ἐκ τοῦ μάλιστα μὴ ἐλθεῖν αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν ἐφάνη· δεύτερον δὲ, τῷ εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτὸν εἰσαγαγεῖν, καὶ προτιμῆσαι παντὸς τοῦ ἔθνους τοῦ Ἰουδαϊκοῦ. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ καὶ τοῦ δέξασθαι τὸν Χριστὸν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν ἀνάξιον ἑαυτὸν ἐποίησε, καὶ βασιλείας γέγονεν ἄξιος, καὶ τοῦ τῶν καλῶν ἐπιτυχεῖν, ὧν ἀπήλαυσεν ὁ Ἀβραάμ. Καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν ὁ λεπρὸς, φησὶ, μείζονα τούτων ἐπιδειξάμενος, οὐκ ἐπῃνέθη; Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἶπεν ἐκεῖνος, Εἰπὲ λόγῳ, ἀλλ' ὃ πολλῷ μεῖζον ἦν, Θέλησον μόνον· ὃ περὶ τοῦ Πατρός φησιν ὁ Προφήτης, ὅτι Πάντα ὅσα ἠθέλησεν, ἐποίησεν. Ἀλλὰ κἀκεῖνος ἐπῃνέθη. Ὅταν γὰρ εἴπῃ, Προσένεγκε τὸ δῶρον, ὃ προσέταξε Μωϋσῆς, εἰς μαρτύριον αὐτοῖς, οὐδὲν ἕτερόν φησιν ἢ ὅτι Σὺ κατηγορήσεις αὐτῶν, ἐξ ὧν ἐπίστευσας. Ἄλλως δὲ οὐκ ἦν ἴσον Ἰουδαῖον ὄντα πιστεῦσαι, καὶ ἔξωθεν τοῦ ἔθνους. Ὅτι γὰρ οὐκ ἦν Ἰουδαῖος ὁ ἑκατοντάρχης, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἑκατοντάρχης εἶναι δῆλον, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ εἰρῆσθαι, Οὐδὲ ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ τοσαύτην πίστιν εὗρον. δʹ. Καὶ πολὺ μέγα ἦν, ἄνθρωπον ἐκτὸς ὄντα τοῦ Ἰουδαϊκοῦ καταλόγου τοσαύτην λαβεῖν ἔννοιαν. Καὶ γὰρ ἐφαντάσθη, ὡς ἔμοιγε δοκεῖ, τὰς ἐν οὐρανῷ στρατιάς· ἢ ὅτι αὐτῷ τὰ πάθη οὕτως ἐστὶν ὑποτεταγμένα, καὶ θάνατος, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα, ὡς αὐτῷ οἱ στρατιῶται. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἔλεγε· Καὶ γὰρ ἐγὼ ἄνθρωπός εἰμι ὑπὸ ἐξουσίαν τασσόμενος· τουτέστι, Σὺ Θεὸς, ἐγὼ ἄνθρωπος· ἐγὼ ὑπ' ἐξουσίαν, σὺ δὲ οὐχ ὑπ' ἐξουσίαν. Εἰ τοίνυν ἐγὼ, ἄνθρωπος καὶ ὑπ' ἐξουσίαν ὢν, τοσαῦτα δύναμαι· πολλῷ μᾶλλον αὐτὸς, καὶ Θεὸς ὢν, καὶ οὐχ ὑπ' ἐξουσίαν. Μετὰ γὰρ ὑπερβολῆς αὐτὸν θέλει πεῖσαι, ὅτι οὐχ ὡς ὅμοιον διδοὺς ὑπόδειγμα ταῦτα λέγει, ἀλλ' ὡς σφόδρα ὑπερέχον. Εἰ γὰρ ἐγὼ ὁμότιμος ὢν τοῖς ἐπιταττομένοις, φησὶ, καὶ ὑπ' ἐξουσίαν ὢν, ὅμως διὰ τὴν μικρὰν τῆς ἀρχῆς ὑπεροχὴν τοσαῦτα δύναμαι, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἀντερεῖ, ἀλλ' ἅπερ ἐπιτάσσω, ταῦτα γίνεται, κἂν διάφορα ᾖ τὰ ἐπιτάγματα (Λέγω γὰρ τούτῳ, Πορεύου, καὶ πορεύεται· καὶ ἄλλῳ, Ἔρχου, καὶ ἔρχεται)· πολλῷ μᾶλλον 57.338 αὐτὸς δυνήσῃ. Τινὲς δὲ καὶ οὕτως ἀναγινώσκουσι τοῦτο τὸ χωρίον· Εἰ γὰρ ἐγὼ ἄνθρωπος ὢν, καὶ μεταξὺ στίξαντες ἐπάγουσιν, Ὑπὸ ἐξουσίαν ἔχων ὑπ' ἐμαυτὸν στρατιώτας. Σὺ δέ μοι σκόπει, πῶς ἔδειξεν ὅτι καὶ θανάτου κρατεῖν δύναται ὡς δούλου, καὶ ἐπιτάττειν ὡς δεσπότης. Ὅταν γὰρ εἴπῃ, ὅτι Ἔρχου, καὶ ἔρχεται, καὶ Πορεύου, καὶ πορεύεται, τοῦτο λέγει, ὅτι Ἂν κελεύσῃς μὴ ἐλθεῖν τὴν τελευτὴν ἐπ' αὐτὸν, οὐχ ἥξει. Εἶδες πῶς ἦν πιστός; Ὃ γὰρ ἔμελλεν ἅπασιν φανερὸν ὕστερον ἔσεσθαι, τοῦτο οὗτος ἤδη κατάδηλον κατέστησεν, ὅτι καὶ θανάτου καὶ ζωῆς ἐξουσίαν ἔχει, καὶ κατάγει εἰς πύλας ᾅδου καὶ ἀνάγει. Καὶ οὐ περὶ στρατιωτῶν εἶπε μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ δούλων· ὅπερ ἦν μείζονος ὑπακοῆς. Ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ τοσαύτην πίστιν ἔχων, ἔτι ἀνάξιον ἑαυτὸν εἶναι ἐνόμιζεν. Ὁ δὲ Χριστὸς δεικνὺς, ὅτι ἄξιός ἐστι τοῦ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ, πολλῷ μείζονα ἐποίησε, θαυμάζων αὐτὸν, καὶ ἀνακηρύττων, καὶ πλείονα διδοὺς ὧν ᾔτησε. Καὶ γὰρ ἦλθεν ὑγίειαν ζητῶν τῷ παιδὶ σωματικὴν, καὶ βασιλείαν λαβὼν ἀπῆλθεν. Εἶδες πῶς ἤδη ἐπεπλήρωτο τὸ, Ζητεῖτε τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν, καὶ ταῦτα πάντα προστεθήσεται ὑμῖν; Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ πολλὴν πίστιν ἐπεδείξατο καὶ ταπεινοφροσύνην, καὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν ἔδωκε, καὶ τὴν ὑγίειαν αὐτῷ προσέθηκε· καὶ οὐ τούτῳ μόνον ἐτίμησεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ δεῖξαι, τίνων ἐκβαλλομένων αὐτὸς εἰσάγεται. Καὶ γὰρ ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη λοιπὸν πᾶσι ποιεῖ γνώριμον, ὅτι ἀπὸ πίστεως ἡ σωτηρία, οὐκ ἀπὸ ἔργων τῶν κατὰ νόμον. ∆ιόπερ οὐκ Ἰουδαίοις